Piano-action.



G. BJORKLAND.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1910. RENEWED SEPT. 25, 1913.

1,094,421 Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE BJORKLAND, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

PIANO-ACTION.

Application filed July 11, 1910, Serial No. 571,319.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnsravr. BJORKLANI), a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Piano-Action, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an action for a musical instrument.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simple and practicable formof repeating action in which the repetition is produced from underneath the jack without the aid of the usual silk cord and fulcrum springs, and to provide a construction of this character in which the bridle or bridle tape are eliminated and a simpler and more practicable device employed for accomplishing the same results.

Further objects and advantages of the in vention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a repeating action for an upright piano constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a part of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of the jack showing details of construction, and Fig. 4 is a side view of a hammer butt and jack constructed in accordance with this invention but in a different form from that shown in the other figures.

The invention is shown as applied to a Well-known type of upright action in which the key 10 operates an abstract 11 which is connected with the wippen 12. As usual, the wippen carries the jack 13 and the jack operates the hammer butt 14 which carries the hammer 15. The usual back check 16 is shown, together with other elements of an ordinary piano action. In this case the jack spring 17 is adjustably mounted on a pivoted lever 18 which is provided with an adjusting screw 19 adapted to engage the wippen. This lever is pivoted on a block 20 mounted on the wippen and on which the jack is also pivoted. The shank of the back check is shown as passing through a perforation in the lever 18. Above the lower arm of the jack is the usual adjustable stop 21.

The connection of the jack with the hammer butt involves several new features of construction. The fiys are stopped off individually, and their travel regulated by a Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed September 25, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

SeriaI No. 791,857.

threaded wire hook 25 for each jack. This book is shown as passing through an elongated j erforation 26 in the jack. This perforation is lined with felt in the usual way in which bearings are formed in this class of instruments. This wire hook is fastened in the action rail 2'? and the hook-is turned down with the lowest part in line with the lower end of the slot in the jack when the ack is in its normal lowest position. It will be obvious that the hook can be adjusted by turning it a full turn in either direction. This insures a perfect regulation of the traveling distance of the jack. The hook can be placed at the side of the jack as shown at do in Fig. l. WVhen taking out the butt it is necessary only to give the hook a turn so as to clear the jack.

Mounted on the hammer butt is a wire connection 28 or the like extending downwardly from the bottom of the butt and projecting forwardly therefrom on an incline through the slot in the jack. This wire normally is just below the top of the slot so that the hammer butt rests on the fly in the usual way when the key is not in operation. It will be seen that the wire terminates just in front of the jack. By this arrangement, the jack can be pulled back clear off the hook and the connection 28 when the butt has to be taken out and replaced.

vVhen the key is struck, the ack describes first an upward movement and forces the hammer positively backwardly toward the string. After the hammer has struck, the further depression of the key causes the jack to bear on the bottom of the adjustable stop 21 and this positively forces the top of the jack forward, as shown in Fig. 2. As the jack comes forward, it allows the hammer to drop back and in fact, on account of the shape of the wire 28 this motion positively draws the hammer back so that this motion of the hammer is not necessarily due to gravity alone. On account of this, the bridle and bridle tape are entirely dispensed with. At the end of this backward motion of the hammer, it is checked either by the downwardly extending portion of the hook 25 or by the back check 16, or both. They are designed preferably to come into operation at the same time. As the key is released, the wippen starts to fall and the first downward motion of the wippen results in swinging the jack forward about the lower surface of the stop 21 as a fulcrum. This is done by spring 17. This motion is transmitted to the hammer from the upper end of the jack as it swings back and causes the hammer to swing toward the string again, this giving the repeat. This brings the jack back to the normal resting position at the base of the butt and the continued downward motion of the wippen permits the jack to drop down by gravity and causes the hammer to come back with it on the hammer rest-rail 30.

WVhen the keys are to be taken out, the engagement of the wire connection 28 in the slot of the jack prevents the wippen and abstract from falling down, it being remembered that the hammer at this time rests on the rest rail. It will be understood, of course,that by turning the screw 19, the spring 17 can be given the proper tension required to carry the hammer back against the string the second time for the repeat with the desired amount of force.

The same advantages are secured in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4., but in this case the connection 28 is of a general U-shape and is fastened in two places to the hammer butt 39 and the latter is shown as made of a solid piece of wood having the projecting end 40, which engages the back check, integral wit-h the rest of the butt. In order to secure the proper engagement of the jack with this connection, the jack is provided with a notch 41 on the side and the projecting end 42 is provided with a felt surface 43 for engaging the wire. With this arrangement, an ordinary stop rail can be used to regulate the traveling distance of the ack and the butt can be taken out when so desired without removing or interfering with the position of the jack. The operation is the same as that described above.

By the employment of the principle of this invention it will be seen that the bridle or bridle tape are entirely dispensed with and the silk cord and springs on the upper part of the jack usually employed for the repeating action are also omitted. This makes the repeating action very simple and also simplifies the whole action. The butt spring also is discarded, as it might otherwise interfere with the touch. Other advantages of the construction are that the wippens are prevent-ed from dropping down when the keys are taken out, the force of the blow of the repeat may be regulated within wide limits, and the travel of the jack also can be regulated.

While I have illustrated and described two preferred embodiments of the invention, I am aware that many other modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art'without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction shown herein and described nor to the application of this invention to this particular type of action, but

\Vhat I do claim is 1. In an upright piano action, the combination of a jack having a slot near the top thereof, a hammer butt in position to be operated by the end of the aek, a connection mounted on the hammer butt and projecting through said slot, and an adjustable hook projecting from one side of said jack to the other, and having a transverse end in position for limiting the motion of said jack away from the hammer butt.

2. In an upright piano action, the combination of a jack having a slot near the top thereof, a hammer butt adapted to be operated by the end of the jack, a connection mounted on the hammer butt and projecting through said slot, and an adjustable hook supported on one side of the ack and projecting through said slot into position for limiting the motion of said jack.

3. In an upright piano action, the combination with a jack and an action rail, of a hook adjustably mounted on the action rail projecting just beyond the jack and capable of turning on its own axis to two positions, in one of which the hook is in position to engage the jack and limit its motion, and in the other the ack is free to move past it.

t. In an upright piano action, the combination of a jack having a slot near the top thereof, a hammer butt adapted to be operated by the end of the jack, a connection mounted on the hammer butt and projecting through said slot, and an adjustable hook supported on one side of the jack and independently thereof and projecting through said slot into position for limiting the motion of said jack.

5. In an upright piano action, the combination with a hammer butt, an upright jack, and means on the hammer butt for connecting it with the jack, of a hook located adjacent to the jac: and having an end in position to engage the jack independently of the hammer butt, and projecting from one side of the hammer butt to the other when the hook is turned to a certain position to limit the dropping of the ack, whereby removal of the hammer butt will not cause the jack to drop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAVE BJORKLAND.

Witnesses Josnrn I. Ornnsnn, [n s] CATHERINE L. Barenarr. [n s] Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

\ Washington, D. 0. 

